Uganda Annual Entomology Report

The report focuses on the entomological aspects of malaria vector control in Uganda, with a primary emphasis on indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets (LLINs). The report highlights the importance of IRS and LLINs as primary mosquito vector control interventions in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria remains a major public health concern. During the 2018 spray campaign, a total of 15 districts in Uganda received IRS interventions, with a focus on areas with high malaria transmission. The report presents the results of longitudinal monitoring of adult mosquito collections, which were conducted using three methods: pyrethrum spray catch (PSC), human landing catches (HLC), and CDC light trap (CDC-LT). The results show that the most common anopheline species collected were Anopheles gambiae s.l. and Anopheles funestus s.l. The report also presents the results of cone wall bioassay tests, which were conducted to assess the quality of spraying and insecticide decay rate. The results show that the spraying quality was generally good, with a mean knockdown rate of 95.6% and a mean mortality rate of 97.4%. However, the insecticide decay rate was found to be high, with a mean decay rate of 34.6% per week. The report further presents the results of WHO susceptibility testing, which were conducted to assess the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae s.l. to different insecticides. The results show that the mosquitoes were resistant to alpha-cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin, but susceptible to clothianidin and chlorfenapyr. The report also presents the results of pre- and post-IRS PSCs in the current 15 IRS districts, which were conducted to assess the impact of IRS on mosquito populations. The results show that the IRS intervention led to a significant reduction in mosquito populations, with a mean reduction of 73.4% in Anopheles gambiae s.l. and 85.6% in Anopheles funestus s.l. The report concludes that the IRS intervention was effective in reducing mosquito populations and malaria transmission in the study areas. However, the report also highlights the challenges faced during the implementation of the IRS campaign, including equipment costs and logistical issues. The report recommends that the IRS intervention should be continued and expanded to other areas with high malaria transmission. The report also recommends that the use of LLINs should be promoted and expanded to cover all households in the study areas.